Villa Figari, Zakynthos, Greece

'Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying, has the good fortune to sail the Aegean sea,' wrote Nikos Kazantzakis in his 1946 novel Zorba the Greek. This tale of island escapism seemed particularly apt holiday reading as we journeyed to Zakynthos, the most southerly of the Ionian Islands, famous for its Shipwreck Beach and Blue Caves. A dusty, winding 45-minute drive from the airport takes you away from the tourist traps of the main town and up to the island's quiet north-east corner. Here lies Villa Figari, our home for the week, in a group of more than 40 houses that nestle around the Peligoni Club. This social, sporting hub attracts families and groups of friends, drawn to the unspoilt coastal setting.

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My enduring memory of Villa Figari is of blue divided by blue – much like a Rothko painting – a swath of sea sandwiched between a cloudless sky and our vast infinity pool. Mesmerised by this view, it would have been easy to slip into a torpor on the Moroccan-style day beds, were it not for the impressive water-sports facilities over at the club, where aquatic adventures can be had paddleboarding, windsurfing and sailing. If you're more at home on dry land, the Goat Shed Spa offers muscle-loosening Swedish massages and Dermalogica facials, and there's a brand-new outdoor gym for those who feel the need to work off the holiday cocktails.

Villa Figari

Villa Figari has eight ensuite bedrooms and a triple-height living space filled with ancient Cycladic artefacts, but these were wasted on us, since we spent almost all our time alfresco. Dotted around the villa's fragrant gardens are several sun-drenched terraces (perfect for long, lazy lunches) and reading nooks where you can escape, with only the lizards silently scuttling up the whitewashed walls for company. The ultimate luxury proved to be the private sea access at the bottom of the cliff. One afternoon shouts came from the balcony – seals! A group of slick, smiling pups had bobbed right up to our wooden jetty, but as we dived into the inky water to swim beside them, they disappeared shyly around the rocks.

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By night, the villa took on a cinematic quality; a sunset-washed island idyll that could have been the setting for a languid Mediterranean thriller. Most days, we embraced self-catering, driving barefoot with salty, tousled hair to the small fishing port of Agios Nikolaos to buy groceries. One night, we requested a private chef from the club, who conjured up a three-course banquet of ham hock and wild mushroom terrine, lamb, cardamom-roast vegetables, couscous and port-soaked fruits.

A bedroom at Villa Figari

Another memorable event was a sunset walk among the olive groves and hives of bees producing honey flavoured with the local wild thyme. We ended up at a ruined cliff-top monastery for champagne and canapés, and, as the sun dropped into the mirror-like sea, it seemed as though Elysium was within touching distance.

Villa Figari at the Peligoni Club (peligoni.com), from £12,500 a week for 20 guests.

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